Cannabis is a genus of 28-million-year-old angiosperm that have been cultivated by humans for over 10,000 years. C. indica and C. sativa are the two main species of the Cannabis genus, and while taxonomic labeling was the most efficient means of labeling plants in the 1700s when the speciation of these plants was assigned, these terms denote morphological differences in plant height, leaf shape, and internodal structure based on geographic location and are not indicative of the plant’s phytochemical diversity. This phytochemical diversity is important because both the unique medicinal value and federal legislation status of cannabis lies within the various types of secondary metabolites able to be synthesized and the vast combinations and quantities in which they can be produced. Cannabinoids and terpenes are synthesized and stored in the resinous sap of protruding specialized epidermal growths found on the surface of plant tissues called trichomes. There are many different trichome types, however the highest concentration of cannabinoids and terpenes are found in stalked glandular trichomes which are most abundant on the calyx of mature female cannabis plants. Cannabinoids and terpenes are some of the most researched cannabis topics, but the trichomes that produce these compounds are rarely elucidated concurrently. Cannabis cultivators commonly utilize low magnification tools to assess trichomes for peak cannabinoid production, however this method is highly subjective as to the true quantity and quality of cannabinoids present. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) are the most common methods of analysis used in the quantification and qualification of cannabinoids and terpenes, respectively. This research is focused on capturing high-resolution, high-magnification images of the morphological distribution of trichomes and comparing them to HPLC and GCMS analysis of cannabinoid and terpenes. By imaging the calyces of mature female cannabis (federally compliant &lt;0.3% THC hemp grown in an indoor Industrial Hemp Cultivation facility licensed through the Illinois Department of Agriculture) plants under cryo-SEM and comparing the density and ratio of trichomes at various nodes along the meristem more insight can be gained into trichome development. The data taken from the SEM images is then compared to HPLC and GC/MS analysis of corresponding localized floral clusters for cannabinoid and terpene profiles.

Closer look at cannabis: Using cryo-SEM, GC/MC, and HPLC to compare trichome density and trichome ratio to secondary metabolite profiles in cannabis sativa

Fall 2022 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch in mid-September.

ACS Fall 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.